High ductility and excellent heat and electrical conductivity have made copper the number one choice for making electrical wires.
Ductility helps because it allows the metal to be stretched to a good length without break or weakening. And electrical conductivity allows a copper wire to carry more current per diameter of wire.
Another outstanding feature of copper is its resistance to corrosion. This gives copper wire a decided advantage in tropical and humid climates.
Fortunately copper has allowed itself to be alloyed with other metals like tin and nickel to enhance physical properties or make the combination cost effective without compromising on essential features.
Addition of nickel to copper enhances its strength, durability and corrosion resistance, a compelling reason to make extensive use of nickel copper wire in the industry. An alloy of copper containing nickel is also called cupronickel.
Usage
Copper wire on a standalone basis or as nickel copper wire find their greatest use as building wire, which is wiring inside residential, commercial or industrial buildings. This trend seems to be undeviating because of the booming construction activities in India. Copper and nickel copper wire also finds usage in appliances and electronic gadgets such as television sets, computers, VCRs and more.
It is true Aluminum is trying its best to replace copper in the wiring segment mainly on the strength of its cost effectiveness. Aluminum’s marketing effort has been successful to some extent in the feeder cable segment, because larger sizes to feed sub panels and carry large currents seems to give it an edge.
But copper and its alloys unquestionably have a decided superiority over aluminum at the point of connection. Copper has the inherent property, on exposure to air to instantly form a tightly adherent and high resistance oxide film.
Cables are a crucial element in the infrastructure of a growing economy. Presently, with India emerging as a robust industrial power, wires are needed in large amounts in the telecom, power, and digital goods sectors.
The current scenario in the Indian copper wires segment including nickel copper wire is to a great extent dependant not only indigenous demand but also on international trends. When technology makes headway in the West, India does not lag behind in implementing the best.
For example, telecoms cable sector contributes more than 60 % share in the American market. We can safely assume the trend is likewise in India.
But in totality, copper wire’s fortunes are closely linked with the health of the power and telecom sectors, government’s policies, and planned diversifications.
It is also true that experts have visualized a subtle shift in the OFC or optic fiber cable sectors, because of the present government’s initiatives in exponentially increasing broadband network across the whole of India.
Today the wires and cables market in India has come a long way from being a small scale industry to a large one. And according to a recent research finding, the wire and cables market in India is expected to touch Rs 572 billion by 2018. Admittedly, copper wire including nickel copper wire will have significant contribution in this growth.
Rajasthan Electric Industries, under the brand name “BRITEX” manufactures a wide array of products to include copper wire, nickel copper wire, PVC wire, and Silver Plated Copper Wire, to name a few.